Curt Schilling’s Official Blog

5/28/07 vs. Cleveland

Thank you to every man and woman serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. I thank God every day we live in a country founded on the principles and ethics that allow men and women like these people to live and WANT to serve here.

(And a late edit. I mention Dave Jauss below when I should have said Todd Claus, one of our advance scouts! Sorry Clausie!)

Two teams coming off sweeps and playing well. We continue to get people doing the right things at the right times, from relievers to back up players to starters to the every day guys. Everyone outside of this clubhouse keeps waiting for ‘the other shoe to drop”, but if you can stay healthy with the mix of talent we have, it’s not something you think about. This clubhouse fits together as well as any team I’ve ever been on. No outrageous personalities but a bunch of guys that ‘get it’ and play the game right.

This market and this fan base won’t allow you to sit back, as if that’s possible in this game, but I was asked tonight in the post game how we would ‘handle’ this. You handle it the same way you handle every other day, you show up, put your work in and bust your ass for nine.

I’m a big Cliff Lee fan too. I think the trio of him, Westbrook and Sabathia can be as good or better than any young group in the game. C.C. has quietly made a name for himself and is one of the better power guys in the game.

Their lineup is what you’d expect from a typical
AL team that can hit. Power top to bottom and a bunch of grinders in the middle who can crush pitch counts on most nights.

Over the past 4 days I spent more time than usual with John Farrell working on things I know I am doing wrong and trying to fix. A few different times he’s made those comments that just ‘click’, and it works. I’ve always loved to talk pitching with coaches, you can never hear things too much, regardless of the topic. You might hear 500 ways to describe what it means to ‘hump up’ and the 501st one you hear might be the one that makes you understand it. Everything about the delivery and throwing pitches is like that for me.

Needless to say he said some things that clicked for me and we spoke at length about the two biggest items on my ‘to do’ list which were addressing the lack of command on the fastball and the fact that the split is not, and really has not been splitting for a very long time now.

Pre game meeting went well as Todd Claus (our scout who’d been following the Indians) was in town and I asked him to sit in and give me his thoughts on approaching this lineup.

Tek and I felt pretty good about the game plan. Warmups were so-so, didn’t feel good or bad but they kind of just happened. I could see the changes we’d worked on were happening, but not as consistently as I wanted them to.

First inning starts and it’s clear that the 1997 version of my split has decided to show up. We end up striking out the side, all on splits, but working all three to deep counts. The bottom line was that the pitch was acting like it’s supposed to, which is the goal. When that happens the command of the fastball is still a priority, but velocity becomes less of an issue.

Back story to the splitter. In 1998, middle of the season, I began to throw the split and at times it would sail wildly from right to left, like a huge cutter. It’s an unhittable pitch but impossible to actually try and throw it. It would happen from time to time but was never predictable and never controllable. I didn’t know why but a few times during the season it happened, and started to happen more frequently. The pitch also began to stop dropping as hard, instead it would float or just sort of softly descend into the strike zone. Throwing hard made that not such a bad thing because it would catch hitters off guard and freeze them when it happened with two strikes. I never knew why but around that same time I started to develop a natural cutter. I didn’t want the ball to cut, it just did. For someone that relies on the ball being in an exact spot when it crosses the plate this is not a good thing. The cutter came and went, as did the split.

Johnny Podres had been retired by this time. Early in spring training he was in camp with the Phillies in 1999 and I was throwing on the side. He was watching and almost immediately asked me ‘Why the hell is the catcher there?”. I was beginning to throw my bullpen with the catcher on the left side of home plate. Not a big deal but I stand on the right side of the rubber, always have, and early in my career he made a point that I start getting loose and throwing in a ‘straight line”, be it in the outfield or in the bullpen. That’s one reason you will always see me playing catch along the outfield cut of grass when I can and with someone that throws right handed. I want to hit the glove on the right side of the body and insure that my stride is straight and my release is as well. It’s also the reason I’d always started getting loose in the pen with the catcher on the right side of home plate. You only have so many throws per day, and from the first toss to the last, for me anyway, it’s always been a priority to be sure I was striding straight and releasing the ball on a straight path.

To make a long story longer, for some reason I had been starting bullpens for quite some time, with the catcher on the left side of home plate. In doing so I had fallen into a pattern of ‘cutting’ the ball to that side. Putting cutting spin on the ball by not keeping my fingers behind the baseball, and had developed a ‘cutter’ by doing so. What it also did was cause my hand to stray from the back of the baseball, about an inch or two, to the right side. This had a profound effect on the path and movement of my split as well.

I fixed the cutter problem but since 1997-98 have never felt that my split dropped as violently or as hard as it did then. While working on a few other things these past few days John said pretty much this very thing, without prompting from me. I thought about it for a few minutes and the talk turned to those years and the issues, and my thoughts about how I got here. In the end it turns out that something appearing so minor, 3-4” of hand positioning, was, in the end, the answer to ‘fixing’ it. At least for now.

Second inning starts with Victor Martinez grounding a first pitch curve ball to second.

Trot strolls to the box and I step back to listen. He gets what he deserves as the fans get loud and on their feet. Trot was an exceptional teammate and he and his wife Kathryn are two of the better people you’ll ever want to know. Deservedly awarded by the Jimmy Fund during the pre-game, it was great to see him get the ovation and them the recognition for being such great people and and great part of this city and team for his entire career.

My goal was to make sure this didn’t happen until the second inning, and to make sure I didn’t have to see him on base. We get to 1-1 and I throw the only change up I threw all night and left it way up in the zone. He whacks it to right for a single. A win and a tie, I’ll take it. I hope after Wednesday he stays healthy and has a phenomenal year, Lord knows if he doesn’t it won’t be from lack of effort.

Peralta is up next and we get a three pitch K on another split for the second out. David Dellucci comes up next. I played with “Looch” in
Arizona for three seasons and he’ll always be one of the funner and better teammates I’ve ever had. That being said he and I are never at a loss for words when it comes to getting on each other and our matchups are a major part of conversation whenever we are getting on each other. Much like Millar I sometimes pick it up a tad when he’s up, trying to make sure that I end up on top somehow. This AB would go to him as he hit a split I left up a bit to center for a single. First one I left up on the day. Trot gets to third and Garko comes up. I haven’t seen him other than the video I’ve had a chance to watch over the past four days and from all I’ve seen he’s legit. Nice approach, good eye and it looks like he’s got serious pop. He runs a long AB but ends up swinging and missing at a fastball in for the last out.

Josh Barfield leads off the third and singles on another split that stays up. We get Grady to 1-2 and I throw a cutter that nicks him to put runners on first and second. Casey Blake runs another long AB and Tek makes a call I was not even thinking about but ends up almost getting us a triple play. I had about 5 options in my head after the previous pitch, settled on one or two when I was on the rubber, deciding to go with Teks call, and he puts down fastball in, which I was not thinking. We throw a two seamer in that gets a huge double play and ends up about a step short of a triple play as Dustin makes a phenomenal turn off of a great feed. Travis Hafner comes up, hits a first pitch backdoor slider to Youk at first to end the inning.

The fourth goes by quickly, which I need because the pitch count is rising way too fast. Martinez K’s looking on a fastball away, the second one in a row, to start the inning. Those two pitches right there cemented in my mind that we had corrected the problem that’s been lingering since spring training. Being able to put the ball on the corners on back to back pitches, while still reaching back for a little extra. Trot hits the first real miss on a fastball I’ve had on the day as the ball comes back over the middle and gets in on him a little bit. Peralta ends the inning by flying to right on a first pitch curve ball.

We run through a long inning but Cliff manages to limit the damage to two runs when it could have really gotten away at that point.

During the half inning I tell Youk to play back about 10-15 feet as the plan to Dellucci leading off is to throw a lot of hard stuff in. We execute the pitches and he whacks a liner that Youk easily catches. Garko pops to Tek, who makes a fantastic catch on a ball that was being pushed all over the place. Barfield chases a high fastball up and out to end the inning.

Manny extends the lead to three by absolutely crushing a pitch over the monster in left.

The sixth starts with Sizemore working another deep count and then swinging and missing at a fastball away for strike three. Blake hammers a ball right down the middle off the monster for a double in the next AB. We work Hafner to two strikes and end the AB by throwing what I think was our best split of the night for a swing and miss. I then hang a split in a bad spot to
Martinez and give the run right back as he singles to center. I was pretty much beside myself at this point and took a second to compose everything. These lineups allow zero time to not be focused and I felt, up to that point, like we had everything under control. Trot ends the inning by hitting a fastball away to center on the first pitch and I am not even glancing in Tito’s direction as I come off the field because I feel fine and want to stay in this game.

The seventh starts with Peralta hitting what I thought was a well located and executed pitch. Fastball in at the belt, a pitch he hasn’t swung at in our previous 10 or so AB’s. He is strong enough to get it to the outfield. “Looch” works a long AB and we end up getting the K when he swings and misses at a fastball away for the first out. Garko grounds to third on a split and Barfield check swings and ground out to end the inning.

I know I am done as I walk off and the fans do too. I can hear and feel the ovation and can tell you it never ever gets old.

Rick Reed had home plate tonight and he was pretty much spot on the entire night. I think he missed some both ways but never felt he gave me anything over the top nor took anything away, he was consistent the entire game.

The bullpen picks each other up and Paps gets some hearts pumping in the ninth but finishes the game by striking out Hafner in a huge situation.

Travis Hafner had a rough night but I hope like hell we aren’t around when he starts making teams pay. He and David are the two best power hitting left handers in this league by a wide margin. What separates them to me is that they both have an uncanny control of the strike zone to go with 50 HR power. Pretty good combo in a DH.

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

Mr. Schilling that was a perfect ballgame on a perfect night and was a perfect tribute to all those fans from New England who have served our country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. It was perfect for me cause I was fortunately there living a dream once in a lifetime oppurtunity sitting right on the corner of the Red Sox dugout. I write to you not only to congratulate the ballclub on a good W, but also to bring to your attention what dawned on me as I was sitting that close to the field watching you compete. I am a member of the UMass Amherst Republican Club (sounds like an oxymoron i know), and our budget has recently been disproportionately cut. We are an active group of about 10 average hard working students who want to send a conservative message to our classmates. During that game i thought to ask you if you’d have any interest in helping us maybe after your season or know anybody who we could contact for fall semester that would be interested. A response would be greatly appreciated. Group website: http://www.umassgop.org, my contact: Joe- jsaracco@student.umass.edu

You are keeping my fantasy team alive and reading this is like a little slice of heaven. Getting to read your thoughts on pitching, breaking down the hitters and situations. It’s awesome. You’re a pretty good writer too, let loose a little more and don’t worry about the Bonds flap. Tell it like it is man!

I was at Game 2 in 04 and whether the sock was legit or not, you pitched your ass off.

Great outing, and I’m happy to see you finally got the kinks out. Just an FYI though, Spring Training really ends well before Memorial Day. What the hell were you doing during March- just trying to deflate the spare tire instead of working on the command and fine tuning the split? I must telll you that after the full fledged fist in the sphincter f*cking fiasco in the Bronx last week I had to watched on Tuesday with a vomit bag just in case. It reminded me of when I watched my fellow actor buddy Vince Vaughn do Be Cool and then do Wedding Crashers in ’05.

I find it amazing that just a few “tweaks” in a pitchers delivery can either make for a very long night on the mound, or make a pitcher look effortless, which seemed to be the case. Game of inches indeed.
Nothing more to note that the team is picking up p those that aren’t seeing the ball as well as others, and we get runs from those that see the ball as a watermelon, fat and juicy. I, personally am having a great time watching this team gel as the season progresses and look forward to the whole team playing… hmm.. poetic baseball. It’s just a pleasure to watch as a fan.

Dominant performance Monday night. Then Beckett follows you with the same type game. It’s awesome to watch this pitching staff work. Enjoy reading your comments and thoughts. Happy Birthday to your kids. And thank you for your thoughts on America’s veterans as I am proudly one of them.

Hey, I’m just a kid that always tries his hardest in pitching. I play for a very good travel team that just might get into national rankings. I have always wanted to be like you! You are an amazing sportsman and you have very good leadership.

Curt,
This could be nothing because the dugout isn’t shown before every pitch but in the 8th inning of the 5/29 game I thought Tito gave the pitch location away.

Blake had worked the count full against Donnelly. The TV showed Tito climb down from his bench into the dugout. I immediately thought he was doing this because the pitch was going to be outside and he was weary of a foul ball. The pitch was outside and Blake pulled it into left field on a line drive.

Again this could be nothing. Tito may disappear on every full count or he could have been checking something in the dugout. But I thought I would point it out so if it was a tell it could be corrected or used to your advantage.

Thanks for taking advantage of your God given talent for my entertainment. I hope you get an extention on your contract.

Hey Curt. I had the pleasure of being at this game up in the 12 dollar upper bleacher seats, but I’m happy to say we ran out of newspapers with the big K’s on the back to hang up on the wall. Great performance, it truly is amazing what you and the rest of the guys are doing right now. 36-15 with Josh’s excellent performance and Youk still raking, with no end in sight.

Anyway I have a question for you. When I’m at the game, someone inevitably starts the wave every single time. And I absolutely hate it. Especially when they do it with our guy pitching and our guys on the field. Not only does it distract the fans from what’s going on on the field, but it seems to be like it would be sort of a distraction for the fielders and especially the pitcher if he has to make a pitch and sees a wall of people standing up and sitting down. So my question: do you or other pitchers that you know of get pissed off or distracted by the wave going on in the 7th inning of a tight game when you’re trying to get it done?

Keep up the good play and good blogging, now that Youkilis has a blog too, this season has been pretty amazing for the fans so far.

Is Youk’s inside the park homer the first for a teamate in a game that you have pitched? I was hoping to hear a comment on it. All I can say is that as of this post we’re 21 games over .500, the Yanks have 21 wins all season! Yeah Baby!

Curt, It was a very nice outing for you against Cleveland. Happy Birthdays to your children also. I am wondering if you think Tavarez has solidified himself as the 5th starter (I think he has been great) or is that Lesters spot when he is ready?

So now that you changed the grip on your split, does that mean you’re going to be dominate all season, with that 94-mph heater on the black?
Praise John Farrell.
Also, I’ve started a nice blog on sports and comment on the change in grip.
Check it out

I posted earlier in this but wanted to add a thank you for support of the troops. Many people fail to realize what is really going on in Iraq, and it is alot of great things. People in the media,(just like in sports media) exaggerate and spin comments, quotes and stories to make for controversial reading. The war isn’t perfect but the men and women of the US Armed Forces and those allies with us, support and believe in what we are doing in Iraq, and we as a country should be supporting them, and the war. I served for 10 years in the Army and know very well the spin that the media can give these situations. This unlike any war ever fought and we have had to learn as we go. The fact that fewer than 5000 American casualities have occured in almost 6 years is amazing. It is tragic when a family loses a child or relative or friend to war, but this war could have been much worse, and if we had not gone to war to make the statement we did, the casualties of Americans both here and abroad could have been much much worse. Thanks again for supporting our troops and your political stand as well as pitching your a** off for the Sox. Thanks.

Very good job Schilling. I was at the game. It would have been nice to take all 3 games but two is very good.

IMO Trot Nixon deserved a mention in this blog but for once I was very proud of the organization for giving him some credit for the 13 years he spent in the organization. They better do the same doe D-Lowe if he ever comes back

I’m curious as well, what do you think of A-Rod’s bush league play last night? All I can say is I’m glad he’s not part of the Sox clubhouse, I can’t imagine him being a member of a team with such chemistry and heart, maybe that’s why he’s a Yankee!

So here is the deal on Curt Schilling for everyone reading this. Let’s talk character. Did anyone notice how he opens this Memorial Day blog entry with 1) a thank you to the troops, some who are literally dying to defend this nation 2) he sends a shout out to his kids on their birthdays and 3) he sends a shout out to the scout who helped him with the prep work for his awesome start that lit up Red Sox nation. Then he broke down the game for us and gave great credit to the time and effort john Farrell is putting in to him and his game. So for a guy who just pitched a HECK of a game – where’s his self-loathing? For a guy who curly-haired people refer to as a “blowhard” where is his self ingratiation? I’ll tell you where it is – it doesn’t exist – Curt Schilling is a true leader. How do I know? As a Major in the army, a West Point grad, and multiple combat veteran I have studied leadership in books and also with bullets flying first hand. Here’s what makes the guy a leader as evidenced just by his conduct on this blog. When he pitched poorly and has a crappy start and loses a battle on the mound – does he shy away from his duty to log on and talk to you and I? no he doesn’t and more importantly – whose fault is it when he has a bad game? He tells you straight up – “what happended on the mound is my responsibility and my fault”. When the sun is shining and things go great like in this past start – whose responsibility is it and who gets the credit when he rocks? I don’t know but look at the list of people he thanked and mentioned in his blog entry and he doesn’t mention himself anywhere. He gives the credit to others for his successes and takes all the credit himself for his failures or missteps. That’s a leader.

Last tidbit on Schilling. I was honored to throw out the opening pitch for the Sunday May 28th Memorial Day game for the Red Sox last season as part of a military salute the Sox were doing. Schilling had just pitched his 200th win the day before and before the game – when any other starter would have been still basking in the afterglow – where was Schilling? In the dugout and more importantly – as part of the ceremony the Red Sox lined the 1st and 3rd base paths with marines and airmen as the national anthem was sung. Curt was the only player, coach, anyone – who came out of the dugout (limping like hell from his previous nights work) and he walked to 3rd base and came down the line and vigorously shook each and every marines hand until they had to march off the field. People can write good-bad-whatever they want about Curt Schilling – but I judge a man by his actions and Curt you had me at Hello. you’re a gracious, thankful person, who despite millions of dollars in payroll and the amount of fame that has come with his own personal achievements – maintains a humble perspective on life that is remarkable.

What I also love about Curt is I remember reading his press conference after that 200th win and when he had a golden opportunity to talk about how well he handles stress and what a great pitcher he is – when asked about the pressure of getting the win that night he said that the biggest pressure on himself came from his kids “Today was my son’s 11th birthday, and the only thing he asked from me was my 200th win, which was probably more pressure than anything I could think of…Five days ago, I pitched on my daughter’s ninth birthday, and she wanted a win, so … there would have been a problem in the house if I had won for one and not the other.”

So here you have a once in a lifetime opportunity for Curt to talk about himself and how great a baseball player he is and he ‘wasted’ the moment talking about being a Dad and loving his kids.

When asked how he felt about the standing ovation from the crowd after he was done pitching that 200th win he said: “I just know that walking out on that field after the game is an experience I’ll never forget,” Schilling said. “I’ll never forget what those fans just did for me. Those are the things that when you’re done playing, I think, they last forever, the memories that these fans can create for you.”

Bottom Line: Curt Schilling is always paying his respect to the fans in copious amounts when he doesn’t have to. He is a god-loving, family-loving humble man who puts his nation, his family, his team, and his fans before himself. He’s a leader and this is one member of Red Sox nation whose glad to have him on our team.

Great job Curt and we’re pulling for a 20 win season for you and whatever it takes to keep your leadership (and your arm) on our team next year.

Have you ever thrown blue smoke? There used to be a closer named York. Or I think he was a closer. He had his magic for three outs and then it was gone for that day. I swear I could see blue smoke trailing behind the ball. I have always wondered how fast he was throwing, and with how much spin, and if other fast ball aces throw blue smoke too.

Maybe there should be a corner in Cooperstown for oddities such as pitchers throwing blue smoke, sluggers seeing the seams of the ball as it comes at them, and bloody socks leading the charge against a cursing goat.

I just wanted to commend you on a great game last start. i was actually the batboy for the Phils back in 1997 with you. my name is adam bodzin. really never got into the webstuff. Actually now a doctor at jefferson believe it or not. Hope all is well and wish you luck on next start.

Despite what their record implies, the Yankees are a tough team, and any sympathy any Sox fan may have foolishly been harboring for them the past few weeks was all washed away yesterday. They’ve won but a couple of games in a row, and already they’re displaying their typical loathesome hubris!

Time to show them why the Sox have the best record in baseball, and you’re just the man to do it!

Good luck.

Look forward to reading your blog after this series. Hope you find time to write even with the tough travel schedule after this series.

Curt,Always admire a person who says what is on their mind regardless of what others might be thinking AND have the intergrity to admit when they might have been a bit over the top. You have a great bunch of guys around you. You all play the game RIGHT, as Tito says. Believe it or not I was very proud of the Sox last year with the way they carried on and played even when they were out of it. I trust that your current success this year is the fruit of last year’s philosophy going forward. Play well and stay healthy!

How are you? My name is Casey, I am 10! I was at the game against the Indians and I don’t think your gonna remember but I yelled hi and you threw me a baseball . . . I just want to say thank you and that you are really, really awesome!!!

Hey Curt-
You wrote:
Thank you to every man and woman serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. I thank God every day we live in a country founded on the principles and ethics that allow men and women like these people to live and WANT to serve here.

While I wholeheartedly agree to thank every person in uniform for their sacrifices to say they all WANT to serve is misleading. A lot of people who sign up for the military do so out of NEED, not WANT. In most instances they are of a lower economic class and the only way to get money for them to go to college and create a better life is to join up with the armed forces. I think if we had a draft and everyone had something to lose(I wonder how many Republicans and Democrats would have voted for the war had he/she had a son/daughter in harms way? I’m guessing not many.) then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess in Iraq and Osama Bin Ladin would have been caught. After all it was Osama who planned 9/11…you know that, right? Because it seems people at the highest level of government, like Cheney, don’t.